"..."
Yan glared fiercely at the stall owner, making the latter tremble with fear. Internally, the man muttered, Looks like this young master is washed up, and quickly turned his ingratiating smile toward Zhu Zhuqing.
"Hehe… young miss, it's yours now…"
"Hold it—I'm bidding twelve hundred!"
Yan raised his hand, and a cascade of gold spirit coins clattered to the ground like rain. This was every last coin he had painstakingly saved through years of frugality.
By rights, as a member of Spirit Hall's Golden Generation, his net worth should be far more substantial. But who would have guessed—most of his fortune had been burned away chasing after his goddess. Now, even as a top-seeded contestant, this was all he had left.
Still, if this little cat-girl refused to back down, he wouldn't raise the bid any further. He'd already lost face, but at least he hadn't actually lost anything. On the contrary, he'd managed to set them up instead.
Thinking about how the group across from him had just blown over a thousand gold coins on a worthless stone, he secretly snickered.
Yet no number could match the impact of cold, hard cash. Twelve hundred gold spirit coins piled up on the ground formed a veritable miniature gold mountain.
The stall owner was stunned. His eyes locked on the shimmering heap, and he was so dazzled he forgot to continue the auction. With twitching fingers, he instinctively bent down to scoop them up.
"Hm? What're you waiting for? Ask her—maybe she'll bid higher~"
Yan barked at the stall owner and crooked a finger at Zhu Zhuqing, flashing what he thought was a bold, wealthy grin.
"Ah? Yes, yes… ahem… young miss, do you wish to raise your bid?"
Reluctantly tearing his gaze from the golden mountain, the stall owner looked at Zhu Zhuqing with hopeful eyes.
Zhu Zhuqing chuckled mockingly. "No more."
"Spending over a thousand gold coins on a dumb rock? That level of intelligence wouldn't stop drooling even if it were cured. Right, Keke? Heehee~"
She couldn't hold it in anymore. Covering her small mouth, she burst into laughter.
"…You've gone too far!"
Zhu Zhuqing's laughter, sweet as a songbird in the forest, was a delight to others—but to Yan, each note was a slap to the face.
Her mocking words especially made him flush with humiliation.
"Here, sir. Your stone—please take it."
The stall owner, mesmerized by the coin pile, completely ignored Yan's sour expression and offered the stone eagerly, as though worried the deal would be called off if he waited even a second.
"SCRAM!"
The stone held high in the stall owner's hand felt like a second strike on Yan's already battered pride.
With a vicious shout, Yan released a pulse of spirit power that sent the stall owner tumbling to the ground, the stone slipping from his hands and rolling to Aether's feet.
But Yan didn't even glance at it. With a wave of his hand, he swept all the coins into his spatial device.
He'd already lost face. If he gritted his teeth and took the stone now, wouldn't it be exactly as that cat-girl said?
"Tch~"
Zhu Zhuqing snorted, crossing her arms. She missed once. Then tried again. Missed again.
So she finally rested her delicate hand on Yu Keke's shoulder, her expression reading, I'm not saying who the clown is, but…
"Ten coins. If you'll sell."
Aether lightly tapped the stone at his feet and spoke to the stall owner.
This old man, supposedly a businessman, had no sense of honor.
"Y-yes, ten coins! It's yours!"
The stall owner scrambled to his feet, wiping sweat from his brow, not daring to look at Yan.
It was clear he now realized who this group was and cursed himself for being blinded by greed, trying to squeeze money from such dangerous folk.
So when Aether made an offer, he accepted it instantly. After all, he'd picked it up for free—anything was profit.
"Keke, pay him."
"Right~"
Obediently, Yu Keke pulled ten coins from her ring one by one and handed them over.
The stall owner, now paid, offered a polite bow and fled like he was being chased by monsters.
"You! If you have guts, come with me! I challenge you to a duel—life or death!"
Yan watched as Aether casually picked up the stone, tossing it in the air like it was a toy—and his already shattered pride couldn't take it.
Pointing a trembling finger, he growled with venom.
"…Oh?"
Aether raised a brow, eyeing him.
Paimon, draped lazily over his shoulder, yawned in boredom.
"Zhuqing-jie, looks like you were right. This guy really doesn't have a brain, challenging Big Brother like that…"
Yu Keke looked up at Zhu Zhuqing and said softly.
"You…!"
Yan's rage surged at her words, but then—
"Idiot."
A voice full of disdain cut in.
"Nana… even you're siding with him?!"
Yan's arm trembled. His goddess was scolding him—for that guy?
"Yan, we're not that close. Call me by my full name—or I'll feel disgusted."
Hu Liena folded her arms and cast a sideways glance at him. His antics were tiresome enough, but now he was putting his stupidity on full display.
Couldn't he use his waterlogged brain and consider how the captain of the guard and she herself had treated this boy?
Challenging someone whose identity you don't even understand? If the rumors were true, not even their teacher might be able to defeat him—let alone a Spirit Ancestor like Yan.
"Nana… don't be mad. I was wrong…"
Everyone has a bottom line—and a simp's line is the lowest of all. It shifts entirely based on how mad his goddess gets.
"Apologize. Otherwise, not even the teacher might be able to protect you."
Though he was a teammate, Hu Liena knew if she didn't speak up now, this idiot would push things even further.
If he really provoked that young man, she might get dragged down too.
"I…"
Yan froze. His face flushed red, then pale. His clenched fists loosened.
"Hmph?"
"…Sorry~"
He exhaled sharply, struggling to swallow his indignation. He took a reluctant step forward and muttered a barely audible apology.
Whoosh—!
Just then, a figure appeared beside him and gave a deep bow to Aether.
"We had no idea Your Excellency had come to Spirit City—please forgive us for not welcoming you properly."
"Elder Chrysanthemum!"
"Elder Chrysanthemum!"
Hu Liena, the guard captain, and Yan all exclaimed at once.
Aether's eyes swept over the newcomer, dressed in platinum robes threaded with silver and gold.
His face was enchantingly beautiful—if not for the Adam's apple, one would think he was a woman at first glance.
"Yue Guan?"
Combining their titles and appearances, Aether recalled the man—Spirit Hall's Elder Yueguan, Chrysanthemum Douluo.
"That's me."
Yue Guan nodded slightly, unsurprised that Aether knew his name.
"Oh? That item in your hand—is that Spirit Marrow?"
"You know what this is?"
Aether raised the stone, from which he had chipped a small piece.
"If I'm not mistaken, it's called Spirit Marrow," Yue Guan said, straightening and inspecting it closely.
"Spirit Marrow forms in the heart of extreme environments. When used by Spirit Masters, it nourishes one's spirit and greatly enhances control."
"Wait—that's Spirit Marrow?!"
Yan and Hu Liena both gasped in disbelief.
Especially Yan—his heart felt like it had been thrown on a rollercoaster.
The last he heard of Spirit Marrow, a single drop had sold at auction for over a million coins!
And just now, he'd had the chance to buy a stone that clearly contained far more than a drop… for barely a thousand?
_
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